A Penthouse with Terrific Views and Movable Walls by Christopher Polly Architect

In a penthouse, you expect great views from “above it all” at the top of a building. This particular penthouse doesn’t disappoint on that score, but this Darling Point project, located in the Easthaven Building facing Sydney Harbor, also does “flexibility” one better. A redesign by Christopher Polly Architect makes use of existing utilities’ locations and other structural details…with creative treatment of walls. The walls slide, fold, and pivot, enabling occupants to literally make rooms different sizes, depending on the situation. The living area expands for entertaining — with a kitchen and bathroom part of its open plan — then contracts again to give the private guest room more space. Tucked next to a set of these walls is a “study,” a cubbyhole that also affords views of the harbor for its user; it, in turn, can be altered by a flexible curtain when needed.

Indoors and outdoors blend here: frameless glass doors open to allow light and air to circulate freely — not to mention breathtaking panoramas. A cantilevered steel-framed pergola filters the light and provides protection, while timber storage benches provide plenty of seating in an inviting, covered, outdoor space. Adding to the light, fluid feel of the house are splashes of colors that echo nature: vivid greens on guest room seating, poppy-red on living room pillows, sunshine yellow on wall art and picked up on al fresco dining table and chairs. By contrast, the master bedroom is a study in cool gray-blue…as if the owners sleep on the peaceful sea as it lies outside the windows. All in all, this penthouse design has it all: gorgeous scenery, adaptability, and elegance — with just the right playful touch.